Starting, lighting and ignition ("SLI") batteries such as are typically used in automotive and other applications are heavy, cumbersome and often require two hands for carrying. Over the years, handles have been proposed and designed for a variety of batteries, such as, for example, SLI lead-acid automotive batteries, marine batteries, and the like.
Providing batteries with handles has become important, particularly for SLI automotive batteries because of the manner of purchase. It is thus quite common for a consumer to purchase a battery from a retailer and then install the battery. Therefore, the ease by which the battery can be carried becomes important. Additionally, it is useful to employ a handle to facilitate Lifting the battery out of the vehicle.
Substantial attention has been addressed to providing handle designs for all kinds of batteries. Such handle designs include U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,796 to Baumgartner, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, which utilizes a handle capable of being locked in an upright position and yet, after installation into a vehicle or the like, can be readily moved to a service position alongside the battery. U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,543 to Anderson et al. discloses a battery having a low profile cover which includes a movable handle that is an integral part of the cover and which is stowable in a recess in the cover.
Additional prior patents showing a variety of handle designs include the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,910,800 to Groby et al.; 4,424,264 to McGuire et al.; 4,562,128 to Humphreys et al.; 4,579,790 to Humphreys et al.; 4,632,888 to Kump et al.; 4,634,642 to Lopez-Doriga; 4,673,625 to McCartney et al.; 4,693,949 to Kellett et al.; 4,727,620 to Gummelt; 4,770,957 to Miyagawa; 4,857,422 to Stocchiero; 4,861,687 to Brantley et al.; and 5,236,792 to Larkin et al. Additionally, the aesthetics of the battery with the handle configuration has been considered, as is evident from Des. 294,484 to Kellett et al., Des. 299,639 to Anderson et al., and Des. 303,519 to Lopez-Doriga.
It is perhaps not surprising that so much attention has been addressed to designing handles for batteries. Thus, there are many diverse design criteria which need to be taken into consideration. Of course, the handle design must be strong enough to bear the weight of the battery; and the design of attachment to the battery must likewise be sufficiently robust so that damage to the battery during transportation does not occur, e.g., the handle pulling out of its attachment mechanism. On the one hand, the method of attachment of the handle needs to be straightforward, most preferably being capable of being installed automatically. Yet, on the other hand, the handle design must not be susceptible to the handle being undesirably detached, particularly when the battery is being transported via the handle.
Still further, any undesirable effect on the dimensions of the battery that are desired must be taken into account. For example, many applications dictate that the handle not increase the length, width and height of the battery. In premium batteries, having been designed with maximum size dimensions for the particular battery size (BCI or the like), it becomes essential to utilize a handle design that does not increase the already-maximized battery dimensions.
Even further, the aesthetic effect of the handle must be taken into account. Thus, the aesthetic look of the battery to the potential customer can be an important factor in the purchase.
Finally, all of these diverse criteria must be satisfied in a cost-effective manner so as not to significantly increase manufacture of the component parts of the battery and handle, nor significantly increase the cost of assembly. More particularly, while consumers desire batteries with handles in many applications, the value-added benefits are often carefully appraised by the potential purchaser so that an unduly expensive handle design would be unacceptable to many purchasers.
Accordingly, despite the considerable effort in this area, there still exists a need for a battery having a handle design capable of satisfying the diverse criteria.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a battery and handle in which the handle is integrated into the battery cover, achieving an appearance which blends into the cover so as to give a hidden look when the handle is in a rest position while not altering the outer dimensions of the battery.
A further object of this invention is to provide a battery of this type wherein the handle may be readily attached to the battery and assembled into position, yet which is not susceptible to the handle being inadvertently detached, particularly in use. A related and more specific object lies in the provision of a handle design which is amenable to assembly by automation.
Another object of the present invention provides a battery and handle design having ample strength for use in transporting the battery without any significant likelihood of damage to the handle or the battery.
A still further object of this invention provides a battery and handle design which can be readily molded in a cost-effective fashion.
Other objects and advantages will be apparent as the following description proceeds taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.